…We nevertheless forced the Provisional Government to renounce annexations.

… Whatever one’s attitude to the slogan “peace without annexations”, one cannot ignore the principles recognised by all the allies…

Step by step, the leaders of the Provisional Government are exposing their real policy on the war. Already in the notorious declaration of the Provisional Government, alongside the verbal “renunciation” of annexations, it was stated that “our” treaties with the British and French governments remain in force. A couple of weeks passed, and in the newspaper *Rech*, the organ of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Milyukov, we read:

Milyukov’s Statement

During his stay in Moscow, the Minister of Foreign Affairs P. N. Milyukov made the following statement at a meeting of members of the Party of People’s Freedom:

The Declaration of the Provisional Government on the aims of the war contains not peace terms, but merely general principles, already proclaimed more than once earlier by statesmen of the countries allied with us. Peace terms can be worked out only in agreement with our allies in accordance with the London Convention. Whatever one’s attitude to the slogan “peace without annexations”, one cannot ignore the principles, recognised by all the allies, of the reunification of Poland, Armenia, the satisfaction of the national aspirations of the Austrian Slavs (*Rech* No. 83, April 11 (24), 1917).

This statement by Foreign Minister Milyukov will undoubtedly go round the entire foreign press and strengthen the warlike mood in Germany. Milyukov is helping the German imperialists to fan chauvinism in Germany, Milyukov is helping Wilhelm II to wage a war of plunder “to the end”.

Let us examine Mr. Milyukov’s statement. The Declaration of the Provisional Government on the aims of the war (the very one that Y. Steklov, through a sad misunderstanding, calls a renunciation of annexations) contains – says Milyukov – not peace terms, but “merely general principles, already proclaimed more than once earlier by statesmen of the countries allied with us.” Translated into plain language, this means: the renunciation of annexations is merely a fine phrase, “general principles”, words, words, words. Our “allies” have spoken any amount of such words. But the actual “peace” terms are something quite different.

One statesman, if we are not mistaken, Bismarck, said: to accept “in principle” in the language of diplomats means to reject in practice. So it is with Milyukov. “In principle” he is against annexations, in practice he is for annexation, and for this reason he stands for war “to the end”.

Fine phrases are not yet peace terms, Mr. Milyukov informs us.

What, then, are his peace terms?

These terms are provided for by the London Convention. It is to this that Milyukov refers us.

But who concluded this convention (treaty)? Tsar Nicholas II with the British and French capitalists! That means the treaties concluded by the tsarist gang remain in force. That means we are waging war in the name of these predatory treaties concluded by the tsarist gang and the “allied” bankers.

The seizure of Poland, Armenia, seizures in Austria (this time Mr. Milyukov kept silent about Constantinople) – that is what Mr. Milyukov’s peace programme boils down to.

What will the leaders of the majority of the Soviet of Workers’ Deputies say about this latest statement by Foreign Minister Milyukov? They will confine themselves to having the “contact” commission “call Milyukov’s attention” to these words of his… Where has that “renunciation of annexations by the Provisional Government”, which Y. Steklov and N. Chkheidze “nevertheless” extracted from the latter, disappeared to?

No dual power exists in Russia. The Soviet of Workers’ Deputies is merely exercising benevolent control over the Provisional Government. So said, if we are to believe newspaper reports, N. S. Chkheidze at the military congress in Minsk{116}.

That is where we have arrived with this benevolent control! People who are fanning the war continue to speak in the name of Russia. The workers and soldiers are fobbed off with general phrases about peace without annexations, while in an undertone a policy is pursued which is advantageous only to a handful of millionaires who are profiting from the war.

Comrade workers and soldiers! At all meetings read and explain Milyukov’s above-quoted statement! Declare that you do not wish to die in the name of the secret conventions (treaties) concluded by Tsar Nicholas II and which remain sacred for Milyukov!

*Pravda* No. 31, April 13, 1917.

Published according to the text of the newspaper *Pravda*.